I came across a wonderful article this morning at http://catholicexchange.com/ by Jimmie A. Davis, Jr. titled Running is About More than Winning. This gentleman began running about the same time I did...8 years ago. (Although I have not been consistant with my training until recently). He writes about how, when he began running, it was for personal glory: to get in shape, to look and feel better, to compete in races and to relieve stress. After a conversion experience several years ago he now runs, still to keep in shape, compete in races and as a stress relief but instead of for personal glory, he runs for the glory of God. (His complete article can be accessed here: http://catholicexchange.com/2009/01/02/115056/ )
This is exactly what I began doing about 6 months ago. I put away my MP3 player and used my runs as time for prayer and meditation. Each run started with the Rosary, asking for Our Blessed Mother's intercession on a myriad of issues. I worked hard to fully meditate upon each and every mystery of the most Holy Rosary. If I was through with the Rosary and found that I still had distance to go, I would do the same with the Divine Mercy prayers. I found that my distance and my time improved significantly. Once I was able to get out of the mindset of personal satisfaction and pride to pleasing and honoring the Lord instead, I found a peaceful joy in my heart.
When I ran the Turkey Trot, this past November, I continued with this practice of meditating upon the Rosary. I was truly surprised when the finish line approached for it had seemed the race had only begun! How truly glorious this experience was!
I thank Jimmie A. Davis, Jr. for putting into words (much better than I) how one is changed for the better when one switches his/her mindset from personal pride to pleasing and honoring our sweet and precious Lord.
For more information on the Rosary, please visit: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/rosary/
For more information on the Divine Mercy Chaplet, please visit: http://thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/praythechaplet.php
2 comments:
oh how I've tried to pray as I run, and it just doesn't work for me. I do pray and thank the Lord for the strength of my body, my health, when it's a beautiful day for His glory that can be seen around me, but to do it my entire run just hasn't happened (unless my ipod dies). Maybe He just wants me to persist in trying..
Oh how I am still a novice when it comes to prayer. However, I do believe it takes much persistance and practice. It wasn't easy at 1st as I would "rush" through my prayers and be left with a "now what". Through perserverence I am seeing little teeny tiny glimmers of what a full and rich prayer life might be like. Baby steps. I would be the 1st one to tell you I'm far from there but I will continue to try. You know, LIFE, in and of itself, is a prayer of thanksgiving and honor to God. You said it best when you wrote: "...I do pray...when it's a beautiful day for His glory that can be seen around me..." If only we can see His glory in all things! God bless!
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